‘Look Past One-Off Contracts’: Guyanese Urged to Build Resilient, Scalable Models at Supplier Forum 2026 as Local Procurement Crosses US$3.9B

By Antonio Dey

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Guyanese companies operating across the energy value chain must look beyond securing one-off transactional contracts and focus on building resilient, scalable enterprises capable of competing across the Caribbean and globally.

That strategic directive took center stage at the Guyana Supplier Forum 2026, convened at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown. Hosted by the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD) in collaboration with ExxonMobil Guyana and its tier-one prime contractors, the event was anchored to the theme: “From Capability to Growth: Building Guyanese Businesses for Long-Term Success.”

The forum brought together hundreds of local vendors, logistics providers, and industrial fabricators to evaluate long-term procurement pipelines, understand compliance frameworks, and explore consortium models to sustain business growth.

Procurement Reality: Readiness Before the Award

Delivering the keynote address, Director of the Local Content Secretariat, Michael Munroe, stated that the national conversation has matured from whether Guyanese firms can execute work to how they can build sustainable models:

• Shifting from Defense to Scaling: Munroe noted that local vendors have proven their basic execution capacity, with the focus now turning toward corporate sustainability, regional export capability, and strategic consolidation.
• Investing Ahead of the Curve: The Director cautioned that waiting for a contract award before acquiring equipment or certifications creates significant operational risk. In oil and gas, Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) management systems, audited financials, and certified crews must be in place before the bid.
• Joint Ventures and Consortia: Highlighting a recent US$10.1 million offshore catering arrangement where local firms formed an alliance to win work they could not have secured individually, Munroe urged Guyanese suppliers to treat partnerships as a core growth strategy.

“We believe that for Guyanese businesses to grow, you can either partner locally or internationally… Collaboration is one of the fastest ways to scale. Competition strengthens capability, but collaboration creates scale.” — Michael Munroe, Director, Local Content Secretariat

Industry Collaboration and Standards

Opening the technical sessions, Executive Director of the Centre for Local Business Development, Parmanand Chandranauth, emphasized that early market visibility allows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to prepare for high-value tenders:

• Procurement Demystification: Chandranauth highlighted that direct access to operator procurement plans helps suppliers meet international standards, streamline quality control, and integrate into supply chains.
• Industry-Wide Resource Sharing: Local Content Advisor at ExxonMobil Guyana, Alexis Moniz, noted that building local capacity requires operators, prime contractors, and local firms to collaborate closely:

“At ExxonMobil Guyana, achieving these goals requires companies across the industry to work together, leveraging collective resources to support Guyanese businesses and people.” — Alexis Moniz, Local Content Advisor, ExxonMobil Guyana

Procurement Transparency and Packaging Opportunities

Discussions also addressed procurement packaging and bidding dynamics:

• Unbundling Contracts: Policymakers highlighted ongoing evaluations within the Ministry of Natural Resources to ensure Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Quotations (RFQs) are packaged so local suppliers are not excluded by bundled services.
• Technical Quality vs. Price: Industry procurement leads reinforced that contract awards weigh technical capability, safety records, and execution feasibility alongside pricing, warning vendors against submitting low bids that compromise financial stability.

With deepwater production projected to expand toward the end of the decade, the forum concluded with a shared focus: converting current offshore spending into lasting domestic corporate assets that can outlive the hydrocarbon cycle.